At the 68th Grammy Awards, K-pop songs have entered the ceremony's main categories (the "general fields").
Rosé's "APT." and the Netflix animation soundtrack song "Golden" were both named in major categories.
These nominations mark the first time a female K-pop artist has reached the Grammys' general fields.
They are a signal that the global music mainstream is shifting.
K-pop in the Grammys' main fields: small win or major turning point?
What happened
Here is a concise summary.
At the 68th Grammy Awards, Rosé’s "APT." and the Netflix animation theme "Golden" were nominated in the general fields and made history.
"APT." received nominations for Song of the Year and Record of the Year—two of the ceremony's most prestigious categories—as well as Best Pop Duo/Group Performance. Meanwhile, "Golden," the theme from the animated Netflix series K-Pop Demon Hunters, earned multiple nods including Song of the Year.
The joint HYBE–Geffen group KATSEYE also entered main-field categories, with nominations such as Best New Artist, showing a pattern of varied progress.
Rosé’s breakthrough
This is Rosé’s record.
Rosé, the lead vocalist of Blackpink, appears on the Grammys ballot with "APT.", a collaboration with Bruno Mars that reached the ceremony’s so-called "Big Four" categories: Song of the Year and Record of the Year.
International chart performance and massive streaming numbers set the commercial backdrop, and the musical chemistry with a high-profile collaborator helped draw voters’ attention.
Rosé’s nomination indicates a new horizon for female K-pop artists beyond fan-driven metrics.
Artistry and commerce intersected here.
The strength of Rosé’s vocal delivery, the song’s arrangement, and the production quality met the Grammys’ aesthetic expectations while global streaming and sales supported the track’s visibility.
However, the organized activity of global fandoms likely amplified streaming and chart figures in ways that shaped nomination dynamics.
This case illustrates again how business models, investment, and capital flow in the music industry connect directly to cultural success.
K-Pop Demon Hunters and "Golden"
"Golden" made a strong run.
"Golden" is the title song from Netflix’s animated series K-Pop Demon Hunters (a global animated show that mixes K-pop themes with action-centered storytelling). It received nominations across several categories, including Song of the Year, and achieved notable chart success such as a No. 1 position on the U.K. singles chart.
The combination of animation and streaming platform exposure created a new distribution route for the song.
This example shows how the traditional album-centric distribution model is changing.
Global platforms like Netflix redesign how audiences discover and consume music, inserting themselves into the music value chain.
As a result, simply releasing a record is no longer enough to reach the world stage; coordinated strategies that link animation, video, and platform promotion have become core competitive advantages.
Industry implications
This is about changing market dynamics.
These nominations imply possible shifts in business models, investment flows, and industry norms.
Revenue structures in the global market have evolved, demanding new capital allocation and strategic planning from labels, platforms, and producers.
Investors may start to see K-pop not only as a cultural export but also as a relatively stable asset class.
On a detailed level, this affects artist career planning, label global strategies, IP policy, and tax or regulatory support.
At the national level, governments may need to revisit policies that support cultural exports and the economic spillover they create.
Within the industry, discussions about diversifying revenue streams and improving long-term income stability—through better royalty systems or retirement plans for creators—are likely to gain urgency.
Arguments in favor
There are several positive takes.
First, these nominations reflect qualitative growth. K-pop is no longer explainable only by surface-level popularity; production values, songwriting, and performance quality now meet international critical standards.
Moreover, works like Rosé’s "APT." and the animation theme "Golden" were competitive on metrics that matter to specialists as well as to the general public.
Second, from an industry standpoint, Grammy main-field nominations can unlock financing and business opportunities.
Domestic labels and producers gain credibility in global markets, which can improve terms when raising capital or negotiating partnerships.
This effect may ripple to startups and small businesses in the music ecosystem by encouraging new platform-content-marketing collaborations.
Third, the recognition expands cultural diversity on a global stage.
When a predominantly non-English music scene is recognized in core categories, it signals a broadening of the awards’ evaluative lens (how winners are judged).
That can open doors for minority genres and regional music scenes, increasing consumer choices and creative experimentation.
Arguments against
There are also important critiques.
First, a nomination does not settle questions about institutional fairness. The Grammys’ process has known structural limits: voter composition, industry campaigning, and lobbying can influence outcomes.
Therefore, commercial or political considerations might have helped certain tracks gain visibility beyond purely musical reasons.
Second, the overpowering influence of commercial success risks overshadowing artistic evaluation.
Organized fandom streaming campaigns and massive consumption may tilt nominations toward tracks with the biggest numbers rather than the most daring artistic choices.
If this continues, the incentive structure could favor safe, formulaic releases over experimental work, weakening creative diversity in the long run.
Third, the domestic industry could become more unequal.
Even if this moment boosts a few global stars and large labels, smaller agencies and independent artists may not share the gains.
Capital and attention tend to cluster with already-successful players, and without targeted policy or funding, cultural diversity might actually shrink.
Practical steps and recommendations
Practical preparation is required.
National and industry actors should turn this recognition into a durable asset by improving systems that support creators.
Concrete measures include reforming royalty collection and distribution, expanding financial and educational support for small labels, and refining tax and institutional frameworks to sustain international activity.
Industry players must also increase transparency and ethical standards around investment and promotion.
Recognize fandom-driven consumption as a factor, but build checks so that numerical dominance does not wholly determine artistic recognition.
When these technical and ethical efforts proceed together, Grammy nominations can become sustainable milestones rather than one-off headline events.
Conclusion
To sum up the essentials.
These nominations in the Grammys’ main fields are an important moment for K-pop’s global standing.
K-pop’s entry into the general fields is a historic turning point
However, institutional limits and internal industry imbalances require concrete follow-through.
Key takeaway: the balance between artistry and commerce needs active stewardship, regulatory and policy support, and long-term investment strategies.
This development may trigger a structural reshaping of the music ecosystem beyond a single award season.
We leave the question to readers: do you see these Grammy nominations as a genuine turning point for K-pop, or as a temporary peak in a long campaign?
